“Are you guys sure we can do this?” she questions softly. She places the empty plate and fork on the stand next to the bed. Her hands go to her still flat belly.
“Of course, we’re sure,” I say. I reach over placing my hand on hers. “We’re not going to be perfect, but we’ll be alright. The first kid is always trial and error. By the time our second comes we’ll know what to do. We’ll still make mistakes, but we’ll definitely have it handled by the third.” Finley whips her gaze up. She scoffs.
“Th, th...third?” she stutters. “Exactly how many kids do you think we’re going to have?”
“At least, one for each of us,” Obsidian states boldly. Stolas and I nod our heads in agreement. Finley opens and closes her mouth. Her gray eyes widen. I can tell she’s seconds away from another meltdown. I need to head it off.
“Finley, take a deep breath.” I do the motion and she follows my lead. I have her take a couple. She starts to calm down. “You are not going to be doing this alone.” I squeeze her hand. “Do you hear me?” She nods. “You have three mates who will do anything and everything for you. It’ll be no different with our kids.” The bed dips from Obsidian shifting his weight. He makes room for me to sit on the bed. I move my hand placing it on her hand. Stolas takes her other hand, and Obsidian places a hand on her thigh.
“Verkor’s right, love. There is nothing we won’t do for you or any children we have. Yes, it’s happening sooner than we planned. We haven’t even talked about this, about anything with the future. But, none of us are upset about this,” Stolas says. He reaches over and cups the side of her face. “I’m so fucking excited about this; I could shout it so all the demons in hell know. I’m going to be a father...we’re going to be fathers because of you.” He leans forward placing a gentle kiss on her forehead, then her nose, and each cheek, and finally on her lips.
“We’ll keep you and the baby safe,” Obsidian says, pulling her attention from Stolas to him. “You know I will.”
“I know, it’s just…” she trails off and sighs. “This is a lot to take in. We still have to get this piece of the map, and the next. Then there’s the trip to finding the treasure.”
She removes her hands from mine and Stolas’. She scoots down to the foot of the bed, stands, and starts pacing around the room. I turn on the bed and follow her movements. Her brows are pinched, and she keeps playing with the ends of her pink hair.
“Are we going to be able to do all that before the baby comes? I mean, who knows how long it will take us to find the treasure. I won’t be able to do a lot the further along I become. What if I have this baby in the middle of who knows where? Are we really going to drag a baby along with us for the rest of the journey? Don’t get me started on living arrangements. Where are we all going to stay? Obsidian’s place in the Magic Realm?” She frantically waves an arm in the air. “Stolas’ place here? How about Verkor’s? There’s no way I’d stay with my child where I live. What am I going to do about Izzy? We share our place.” Her pacing increases the longer she voices her concerns.
“Finley,” Obsidian says, but she doesn’t hear him lost in her own thoughts. “Finley,” he says louder. She jumps at the sound of his voice. She stops her pacing and looks at him. He stands, walking over to her. “Let’s take this one step at a time. Okay?” Finley stares into Obsidian’s eyes, searching for something. Whatever it was worked, because her shoulders relax.
“Okay.”
“Good.” He pulls her into his arms. “First, we’re going to focus on getting this piece of the map. We have a few months before we have to start thinking about permanent options for housing. But, if it makes you feel better, once we get this map piece, and we’re back home at my place, we can have a discussion about what everyone wants. We’ll make some compromises, but we’ll figure this out. Now, it’s late and we have a few levels of hell to get through tomorrow.”
“We’re going to have to get a doctor.” Finley looks over at Stolas. “Are there doctors here?” Stolas chuckles.
“Of course there are,” he responds. Finley nods her head and turns back to Obsidian.
“Good, because I want to make sure the baby is okay. The doctor should be able to tell us how long we have before the baby comes, right? I mean, I can’t be the first human to get pregnant by a supernatural being,” Finley states looking around the room, meeting each of us in the eyes.
“The doctor will be able to tell us everything that we need to know,” I say. “That is something that we can talk more about in the morning. We can plan out when and where the doctor can meet us. Everything will look better in the morning with fresh eyes and a clear head.”
“You’re right,” she replies with a sigh. “Everything will be okay.” We all nod in agreement.
Obsidian releases Finley, taking her by the hand and leading her back to the bed. Stolas and I get up and watch as Finley gets comfortable in the middle of the bed, leaving enough space on either side of her for two of us.
“Go back to sleep, doll. We’ll worry about things when we need to.” Obsidian leans down and places a kiss on Finley’s forehead.
“Goodnight, guys,” her eyes are already closing.
“Sleep tight, love.”
“Goodnight, doll.”
“Night, baby,” I whisper. I don’t think she hears us. Her breathing is deep and even. Stolas lets out a sigh. He starts pacing the room.
“We need to make sure she knows that we’re not going anywhere. You could tell that she thinks we’re going to leave. I don’t know what to do to convince her otherwise. I would never abandon my mate and pup.” He runs his fingers through his hair.
“We just have to prove to her and show her every day that she can rely on us. Eventually, she’ll stop thinking the way she does. But we all knew it was going to take time. We’ve been doing good so far. I think having a place that is just ours, all of ours, will go a long way. It will show her that we are in this for the long haul,” I respond. Obsidian moves and sits in the chair on the left side of the room.
“We need to make sure we don’t make decisions without her. She has to have a say in every step of the process.” Obsidian doesn’t look at us as he speaks. His gaze is only for our mate. “Like we told her, none of us are doing this alone. I may not be the baby’s biological father, but I’m going to treat that kid like it is mine. That goes for any kids we have.” Obsidian takes his eyes from our mate and focuses on me, then Stolas. I nod my head in agreement.
“You’re right though. We need to focus on one thing at a time. We need to get this piece of the map and get home safely. Everything else will come together,” I say. My eyes go back to Finley. In such a short amount of time, she’s come to mean everything to me and the others. She helped me through my pain of finding out the truth about my mother, of going back home to the Winter Court of the Faerie Realm when it held such bad memories. She helped make new, happy ones. There was not one time while we were there that I didn’t feel her support. Now, I need to do the same for her. I need to make sure she’s never alone, that I will support her in all things.
Chapter 6
Finley
I wake up in the middle of a Stolas and Verkor sandwich, and I am not complaining. Well, my stomach does because it chooses that moment to growl. Speaking of the hellhound, he wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me closer, snuggling up against my back. I feel his nose at the nape of my neck, and I hear him inhale. His lips land on the side of my neck.
“You smell so good,” he murmurs. I smile.
“What do I smell like?” He inhales again.
“Like you usually do. Strawberries and honey, but now you have the scent of fire and sulfur. You smell faintly like a hellhound.” His arm releases me and he rolls over to his back. I move to face him, snuggling up to his side. His arm comes around me and his hand rests on my hip. Verkor moves closer, spooning me from behind.
“I’m not going to shift, am I?” I move my head back so I can look into his sleepy, silver eye
s. His black hair is a mess, but it’s a sexy kind of mess. All I want to do is run my fingers through it. The hand Stolas has on my hip starts to rub up and down, within his arm range.
He chuckles. “No, love. You’ll growl, blow smoke, your canine teeth might lengthen, your sense of smell might be better, and your eyes might glow red, but I’m pretty sure that’s all that will happen.”
“Oh,” I say disappointed, moving my gaze to his bare chest. How cool would that be to be able to shift? Even if it was only for a few months.
“Don’t be sad, love.” He uses his finger to lift my chin. I see nothing but love emanating from his eyes. “I happen to love you just the way you are.” He places a gentle kiss to my lips.
“I love you too.” I forget all about my disappointment when I see the megawatt smile that spreads across Stolas’ face.
“I’ll never get tired of hearing you say that.”
I don’t get to respond, because Stolas crashes his lips to mine. It’s soul searing. He pulls me over to lay on top of his body. I move my legs so that I straddle him. His hard cock is nestled against my core. One of his hands lays flat on my back, and the other hand fists my hair. I moan against his mouth, and he pushes his hips up, rubbing his erection against my pussy. I wish there was nothing between us. We’re in the perfect position for him to slide into my warm, wet heat. Stolas licks the seam of my mouth, and I open letting him slide his tongue into my mouth. I rock my hips against him, making him groan. He changes the angle of our kiss. Our tongues dance together. I want to rip the clothes from his body.
Mark.
Mate.
Claim.
I move my mouth from his and kiss a path down his chin to his neck. I pause at the junction of his neck and shoulder. There’s an intense pressure in my gums. It almost hurts. I whimper, rubbing my teeth on his shoulder. I pull back slightly, running my tongue along my top gums, and stop when I feel the difference in my teeth. Two of my teeth are longer and sharper than before. I gasp, pushing myself up, covering my mouth with my hand. I stare wide-eyed at Stolas. He frowns at my look.
“Finley, what is it? What’s wrong?” Concern edges his voice. I frantically shake my head. I don’t know what to say. Stolas reaches up, curling his hand around my wrist. “Please, Finley, love, tell me.” He tugs at my wrist, and I let him. I try to curl my lip over my lengthened teeth, but it doesn’t work. Stolas sees. He growls, not in a menacing way, but in a lustful way. His own canines lengthen, and his eyes glow red. Stolas wraps his arms around me as he shifts to a seated position on the bed. My legs still straddle him, but we’re face to face. “Oh, love, do you know how sexy you look to me right now?” I shake my head. “My hellhound wants you to sink your teeth into my neck. Claim me, mark me, show the world that we’re yours.” I start to shake my head again.
“I-I-I can’t,” I stutter. Speaking around the longer teeth is hard.
“Yes, you can, love. I want you to. I... we need you to.”
“He’s right.” I turn my attention to Verkor, who moved back against the headboard. I forgot he was still in the bed with us. I wonder how long he’s been awake? “Just follow the instincts that are in you right now.”
I don’t think I can. Can I bite Stolas? As much as I don’t like the idea, I also love it. The thought that he will wear my mark, like I do his and Obsidian’s. Everyone will know he is mine. My gaze goes back to Stolas, his arms tighten slightly around me. I can see in his eyes how much he wants this. I nod, leaning forward, scraping my teeth along the tender spot between his neck and shoulder. Stolas moans and bucks his hips. I lick a spot, then quickly sink my teeth into his flesh. His hand cups the back of my head. I hear the bedroom door open and close but pay no attention to it.
“Yes, love.” Stolas’ voice is husky, low, and a little breathless.
I leave my teeth in his neck for a moment, letting my mouth fill with the iron taste of his blood. I pull back, licking the marks. I retreat, staring Stolas in his still glowing red eyes. Bliss is the only word I can use to describe the look on his face. The pressure in my gums stops, and my teeth recede back to their normal length. I run my tongue over my gums just to make sure. I watch as Stolas’ teeth do the same and his red eyes slowly return to their silver color. A slow smile creeps across his face. I relax in his hold.
“What the hell did I just walk in on?” Obsidian growls. Stolas lets me go, and I climb off of his lap and take a seat between him and Verkor on the bed. I can’t look Obsidian in the eyes. I know I shouldn’t feel ashamed about what I did, but I do. Lucky, I don’t have to explain to Obsidian, because Verkor does that for me.
“You know Finley has been exhibiting signs of a hellhound.” I glance at Obsidian from the corner of my eye and see him nod his head. “Well, one of those traits was the urge to mark and claim Stolas. Her canine teeth lengthened. What you walked in on was her claiming her mate. Exactly what she did to you yesterday.” I whip my gaze back and forth between Verkor and Obsidian. Obsidian nods
“Out of curiosity, what did you think was going on?” Stolas questions. I look Obsidian in his eyes, waiting to hear his answer.
“Honestly,” he runs his fingers through his auburn hair. “I walked in and all I smell is the copper scent of blood. I thought someone was hurt. I didn’t take a moment to actually see what was going on.” He sighs.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I didn’t really understand what was going on either. Like I said, I don’t remember the ache or the pressure in my gums.” He nods. “Thank you for getting food. I’m starving.” My stomach uses that second to growl again, and I chuckle. “Come, sit, and eat. I’m sure everyone will feel better after that.”
Obsidian sits on the edge of the bed. We dish out the food, and we eat in companionable silence. I take a moment to reflect on what happened. I know I should be freaking out. I tasted blood and it didn’t bother me. I didn’t find it gross. It felt natural, once I got out of my head about it. I know if it weren’t for the fact that I’m pregnant, and taking on aspects of a hellhound, there’s no way I would have done what I did. I understand now that’s just how hellhounds do things. I understand how important and significant this was for Stolas. I won’t take that away from him. If I’m honest, that small part of me that is acting like hellhound wanted it too.
The best thing I can do now is what Obsidian said. Focus on one thing at a time. At the present, we need to get through the rest of the levels of hell. And from what Obsidian said, it isn’t going to be a cake walk. Everything will be okay. You’re not alone. The guys haven’t let you down, and they won’t start now. I need to have more confidence in myself and in them. We got this...together.
Stolas
“So, what are our plans for today?” Finley says.
She looks so sexy. Her hair is a tangled mess from my hands, and her lips are still slightly swollen from my kisses. She’s wearing nothing but a t-shirt and shorts, but she’s still beautiful. Her skin is glowing and radiant. Just knowing that a pup is growing inside her has unleashed all my primal instincts. I love the fact that she has the hellhound baser instincts. I reach up and touch the mark she left on my shoulder, and I grin. I want to walk around shirtless and show off my marks. I want everyone to know that I’m taken by this beautiful woman before me. My eyes go to her still flat belly. I can’t wait until she starts to show. I can’t wait to see her swell with my pup.
“Stolas.” I lift my gaze from her belly to the worried expression on her face. “Are you alright?”
“Yeah. Why?” She tilts her head to the side, like a curious dog and it’s the cutest fucking thing.
“Because, I’ve called your name multiple times, but you didn’t hear me. Plus, you were growling, and your eyes were glowing red.”
“Oh, I’m fine, love. I’m just thinking about how good you’re going to look later in the pregnancy.” She rolls her eyes, but I’m not kidding. I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off of her. I’m barely resisting now.
“Is this som
e male macho, virility thing?” I grin. “Oh God, you’re going to act like a peacock with his feathers out. Strutting around all proud.” She’s not wrong. I puff out my chest.
“Hell yeah I’m proud. Don’t think Verkor and Obsidian won’t do the same. I’m betting Obsidian will be the worst out of all of us,” I say. She looks at Verkor and Obsidian. Verkor simply shrugs his shoulders and starts to gather all the trash.
“He’s right,” Obsidian agrees. “I will be the worst. I’m sure even a half-hamrammr will shift. Our genes are very strong and dominant. I’ll be overprotective because of the history of hamrammrs being hunted. I’ll protect you and our child...any child,” he glances my way, “with my life.” I know he will, because I will do the same. So will Verkor. She sighs, wincing as she runs her fingers through her hair, getting them caught on the knots.
“I’ll comb out your hair, Fin,” Verkor states. He moves from the bed, with the trash, placing it in the wastepaper basket by the door, before going to our bags and digging out a comb. Obsidian leans against the headboard, while Verkor takes a seat at the end of the bed. “Come,” Verkor says. Finley scoots over to the side of the bed, standing, then makes her way over to Verkor. She turns presenting him with her back. He scoots back on the bed, pulling her with him. I move to the chair to the edge of the bed, so I can watch as Verkor gently works through the knots in her hair.
“So Stolas,” Finley glances over at me from the corner of her eye. “You never did answer my question. What is the plan for today?”
“Well, I’m hoping to get through a couple more levels today. I was hoping to make it to the sixth level, that’s where my house is, and I’d love to show it to you. I have a feeling we’ll be stopping for a few hours in the next level,” I grin at her. No one can resist the greed level.
“Why is that?” She raises an eyebrow.
“Oh, you’ll see. I don’t want to ruin the surprise.” I’m willing to let her have a few hours of fun in the greed level because soon the levels become exactly what everyone thinks and is afraid of.
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